Apparatus for loading articles in upwardly open nonpartitioned packing cases



Nov. 18, 1969l H. G, LATTKE 3,478,491

FOR LOADING ARTICLES IN UPWARDLY OPEN NONPARTITIONED PACKING CASESAPPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 29, 1967 Nov. 18, 1969 H. G.l-.A'rrKe 3,478,491

APPARATUS FOR LOADING TICLES IN UPWARDLY OPEN NONPARTITION PACKING CASES4 Sheets-Sheet 2 AR ED Filed Sept. 29, 1967 Nov. 1s, 1969 LG. mme3,478,491

APPARATUS R LO NG ARTICLES UPWARDLY OPEN y NPARTITIONED PACKIN ASES 4Sheets-Shea?l 5 Filed sept. 29, 1967 H. G. LATT'KE 3,478,491 FOR LOADINGARTICLES IN UPWARDLY OPEN NON IONED PACKING CASE Nov. 18, 1969 APPARATUSFiled Sept. 29, 1967 PABTIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent OAPPARATUS FOR LOADING ARTICLES IN UP- VSIILY OPEN NONPARTITIONED PACKINGHorst G. Lattke, Middletown, Conn., assignor to Emhart Corporation,Bloomfield, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 29, 1967,Ser. No. 671,631 Int. Cl. B65b 5/08, 5/12 U.S. Cl. 53-248 10 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Upwardly open packing cases, withoutindividual partitions, are fed to a loading zoneiby a rst ight barconveyor and a second ilight bar conveyor carries successive slugs ofcans to the edge of a deadplate above the case to be packed. The secondconveyor advances the cans as they are dropped off the deadplate ontoguide rails and thence into the case. The guide rails are arranged sothat they engage the upper chimed edges of the cans being dropped toretard the rate of descent of said cans. Two such pairs of guide railssuccessively engage the dropping vcans as they are being advanced by thesecond conveyor.

Once the rst lateral row of cans enters the case, this second conveyoradvances the case as well.

Summary of invention This invention relates to apparatus'for loadingarticles in upwardly open non-partitioned packing cases, and deals moreparticularly with an apparatus for dropping a group of articlesdownwardly into a case which is advancing at the same speed as that ofthe articles.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus ofthe foregoing character 'wherein the cans are dropped in increments atrelatively slow vertical speed, through a distance at least equal to onecan height, without causing toppling of the cans.

The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention and suchembodiment will be described, but it will be understood that variouschanges may be made from the construction disclosed, and that thedrawings and description are not to be construed as defining or limitingthe scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of thisspecification being relied upon for that purpose.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. l is a side elevational viewof-an apparatus con- FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown inFIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a`view of the apparatus shown in FIG. l looking in theupstream direction.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a group of articles arranged on adeadplate above a packing case to be loaded.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 at aslightly later instant of time wherein the irst lateral row of articlesis dropped slightly.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 at astill later instant of time wherein the rst two rows are dropped ontoguide rails of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 ata still later instant of time wherein the iirst three rows are dropped,the first row being in place in the case.

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Detailed description Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG.l shows an apparatus incorporating the present invention wherein aninfeed conveyor 10 is provided for advancing upwardly open packing casesC, C through a loading zone and across deadplate means 12 at saidloading zone. The packing cases C, C are of the non-partitioned variety,that is they do not have individual compartments for accommodating eachof the articles to be loaded therein. A second conveyor means 14 isadapted to feed groups of articles, as for example the cans A, A to theloading zone and onto a second deadplate means 16. Preferably, both theinfeed conveyor 10 and the can conveyor 14 are of the ght bar conveyortype, and operate in timed relationship with one another so that as eachsegregated group of cans arrives at the loading zone, the packing caseis positioned to receive the cans as they are cascaded oif thedownstream edge of the deadplate 16.

The first llight bar conveyor 10 comprises a pair of side-by-sideendless chains, which chains are entrained over sprockets, only one ofwhich is shown in FIGS. 4 through 7. Each of the flight bars 13, 13 forengaging successive cases C, C is pivotally mounted at either end to theendless chains, and a fixedl guide 15 under the upper run of each chainholds the bar 13 in an active position when a case C is to be fedthereby. As shown in FIG. 5, the bar 13 drops downwardly off the end ofthe guide 15 when the first row of cans is in position for feeding thecase further. As best shown in FIG. 2 the ight bar conveyor 14associated with the cans comprises a pair of side-by-side endless chainseach of which is entrained over sprockets provided for this purpose ateither side of the path of movement of the cans. Flight bars areprovided at predetermined intervals between the conveyor chains asindicated generally at 20, 20. Each of the flight bars 20, 20 comprisesan elongated bar connected at each end to one of the conveyor chains,and a plurality of can engaging pushers carried by the flight bar asbest shown in FIG. 3. These Hight bar conveyors 10` and 14 associatedwith the cases C, C and cans A, A respectively are driven in timedrelationship with one another by conventional drive means (not shown).

Still with reference to FIG. 2, means is provided for carrying away theloaded packing cases from the loading zone, and as shown, said meanscomprises a plurality of cylindrical rollers 22, 22 the respective axesof which are inclined slightly so that the loaded case rolls downwardlyby gravity onto a take-away conveyor (not shown).

The fixed framework of the apparatus comprises longitudinally extendingside members 24, 24 which are supported at either end by uprights 30, 30of channel shaped cross section. A pair of channel plates 26, 26 extendup wardly from the frame members 24, 24 in the area of the loading zone,and a series of cross braces 28, 28 extend across the path of movementof the cans for adjustably supporting a series of lane separator plates56, 56 to be described.

The longitudinally extending frame members 24, 24 have inwardly turnedupper edge portions, best shown in FIG. 3, which carry depending arms34, 34 respectively, which arms carry longitudinally extending guiderails 36, 36 for supporting the outwardly folded top aps of the packingcase C in the position shown. These longitudinally extending members 24,also support brackets 40, 40 which carry channels 42, 42 in which thelower run of the conveyor chains are slidably received. A lower crossbrace 44 is provided between the frame members 24, 24 for supporting apair of angle brackets 46, 46 in which the rollers 22, 22 are rotatablysupported. A pair of lixed guide rails 48, 48 are also supported onthese angle brackets 46, 46 for guiding the cases C, C as they leave theloading zone.

In accordance with the present invention, means is provided at theloading zone for dropping the cans into the case at a relatively slowvertical speed, through a distance slightly greater than the height ofthe cans to be handled. AS best shown schematically in FIG. 4, saidmeans comprises several pairs of guide rail segments 50 and 52 each ofwhich pairs is so arranged that said segments are engageable withdiametrically opposed portions of the upper annular flange or chimededge on each of the cans as said cans move off the downstream edge ofthe deadplate means 16. Each lane of cans in the group -being advancedby the can conveyor 14 is fed between similar pairs of guide railsegments 50 and 52. All of these guide rail segments 50 and 52 aremounted in staggered relation on vertically disposed lane separatorplates 56, 56, which plates are disposed in laterally spaced relation inthe loading zone for preserving the separate lanes of cans in each groupof cans during loading. The plates 56, 56 are supported adjacent theirupper marginal edge on blocks 58, 58 respectively, which blocks are inturn slidably received for lateral movement on the cross braces 28, 28as best shown in FIG. 2. As so constructed and arranged the pairs ofguide rail segments 50 and 52 cause the cans to cascade downwardly intothe awaiting case as a result of forward movement of the can conveyor14.

More specifically, the first, or upstream pair of guide rail segments50, 50 have their upstream ends slightly below the chimed upper edges ofthe lateral row of cans on the deadplate 16, and their downstream endsare located slightly more than one can diameter downstream of the edgeof the deadplate. The second pair of guide rail segments 52, 52 areparallel to the first and spaced vertically downwardly and horizontallydownstream of said first pair. More specifically, the upstream ends ofsaid second, or downstream pair of guide rail segments, are spaced belowthe downstream ends of said first pair by a distance no greater than onehalf a can height. The second pair of segments 52, 52 are substantiallyequal in length to said first pair 50, 50 so that a single lateral rowof cans in each group is suspended thereon during loading. Finally, thesecond pair 52, 52 is spaced above the deadplate 12 by a distanceapproximately equal to one and a half a can height so that each candrops through a distance of approximately one half a can height as it isdropped into an associated case.

The two outside lanes of cans may have side curtains 60, 60 associatedtherewith for precluding interference between the cans being dropped inthe two outside lanes and the upper side edge of the case itself. Thesecurtains 60, 60 are suspended from the lower ends of hangers 62, 62,which hangers are attached at their upper ends to the blocks 58, 58 onthe cross brace 28. The curtains 60, 60 are exible so as to be capableof being deformed slightly as a case is fed therepast, and the arcuateedge which faces the oncoming case serves to guide the lowermost portioninto each case to assure that the chimed edges of the cans in theoutside lanes do not strike the upper side edge of the case as they aredropped off the guide rails.

While the operation of the apparatus shown has been mentioned inconjunction with the foregoing description, it should be noted that thecase C is only fed up to the loading zone by the rst flight bar conveyor10, and that the can conveyor 14 serves to advance both the group ofcans and the case once the rst lateral row of cans drop ot the deadplate16 so that said cans engage the inside of the front panel of the case.Thus, the can conveyor 14, and more particularly the ight bar 20associated therewith, by advancing the group of cans off the deadplate16, and by cascading them down the guide rail segments 50 and 52, servesto advance the case through the loading zone.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for loading slugs of upright cans into upwardly openpacking cases, said apparatus comprising iufeed conveyor means foradvancing cases into a loading zone, deadplate means above said infeedconveyor 4and having a `downstream edge which defines an upstreamboundary of said loading zone, Hight -bar conveyor means for advancingslugs of cans along said deadplate means toward said loading zone intimed relationship with the arrival of an associated case, meansengageable with diametrically opposed portions of the upper chimed edgeof each of said cans as said cans move off the downstream edge of saiddeadplate means for reducing the vertical speed of descent of said cansas they are deposited in the case at said loading zone.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for reducing thespeed of said descending cans comprises at least one pair of guide railsegments arranged on either side ef each lane of said slug in saidloading zone.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for reducing thespeed of said descending cans further comprises vertically disposed laneseparator plates arranged in laterally spaced relation in said loadingzone for preserving the separate lanes of cans in said slug of cansduring loading.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein a plurality of pairs of guiderail segments are mounted on said plates in staggered relationship toone another for lowering said cans in vertical increments as they areadvanced by said flight bar conveyor through said loading zone.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said plurality of pairs ofguide rail segments comprise a first pair having upstream ends which arelocated slightly below the upper chimed edge of the furthest downstreamcan in each lane on said deadplate means, and said first pair of guiderail segments having downstream ends which are located slightly morethan one can diameter downstream of said downstream edge of saiddeadplate means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said plurality of pairs ofguide rail segments further comprises a second pair having upstream endswhich are spaced vertically downwardly below the downstream endsrespectively of said first pair of guide rail segments.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said second pair of guide railseg-ments is parallel to said first pair and substantially equal inlength thereto.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said lirst and second pairs ofguide rail segments are substantially horizontal and are verticallyspaced from one another by less than one half of one can height.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said downstream ends of saidfirst pair of guide rail segments are vertically spaced from saidupstream ends of said second pair of guide rail segments by less thanone half of one can height.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 and further characterized by sidecurtains associated with the outside lanes of articles in said loadingzone for guiding the articles in said outside lanes as they drop intothe case.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,699,278 1/1955 Wysocki 53-1603,053,025 9/ 1962 Nigrelli et al. 53-251 X 3,377,774 4/ 1968 Nigrelli etal. 53-250 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUlLL, AssistantExaminer U.S. Cl. X.R. 53-160, 250

